Classification of gait variation under mental workload in big five personalities.

Background: Human behavior patterns involve mutual interactions among psychology, physiology, and stress, which are all associated with gait at different grades.

Research Questions: The study aims to reveal the interrelationship among personality, mental workload, and gait patterns by capturing gait variations using inertial sensors. It also assesses individual personality traits and simulates stress to construct a gait classification model.

The effect of a contralateral foot touch on stability of one-leg stance in young adults: an exploratory study.

Purpose: Previous studies demonstrated that providing light finger touch to a stationary object leads to reduced body sway. The focus of the current exploratory study was on the investigation of postural sway during one-leg stance when light touch is provided by the contralateral foot.

Methods: Eleven healthy young adults participated in the study.

Robust 2D layered MXene matrix-boron carbide hybrid films for neutron radiation shielding.

Large-scale fabrication of neutron-shielding films with flexible or complex shapes is challenging. Uniform and high boron carbide (BC) filler loads with sufficient workability are needed to achieve good neutron-absorption capacity. Here, we show that a two-dimensional (2D) TiCT MXene hybrid film with homogeneously distributed BC particles exhibits high mechanical flexibility and anomalous neutron-shielding properties.

Recognition of walking directional intention employed ground reaction forces and center of pressure during gait initiation.

Background: Movement intentions are generally classified by Electroencephalogram (EEG) and have been used in gait initiation prediction. However, it is not easy to collect EEG data and practical in reality. Alternatively, ground reaction force (GRF) and the center of pressure (COP) is produced by the contact between the foot and the ground during a specific period of walking, which are the characteristics of evaluating gait performance RESEARCH QUESTION: The study aims to use a deep learning technique to recognize the data of the COP and GRF to classify straight walking and right turn.

Robotic Ankle Training Improves Sensorimotor Functions in Children with Cerebral Palsy-A Pilot Study.

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have sensorimotor impairments including weakness, spasticity, reduced motor control and sensory deficits. Proprioceptive dysfunction compounds the decreased motor control and mobility. The aims of this paper were to (1) examine proprioceptive deficit of lower extremities of children with CP; (2) study improvement in proprioception and clinical impairments through robotic ankle training (RAT).

3D Reconstruction Using 3D Registration-Based ToF-Stereo Fusion.

Depth sensing is an important issue in many applications, such as Augmented Reality (AR), eXtended Reality (XR), and Metaverse. For 3D reconstruction, a depth map can be acquired by a stereo camera and a Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor. We used both sensors complementarily to improve the accuracy of 3D information of the data.

Targeted next-generation sequencing for comprehensive genetic analysis of external apical root resorption during orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction in the Korean population.

Introduction: External apical root resorption (EARR) is one of the most common unfavorable consequences of orthodontic treatment and causes loss of tooth structure. The present study aimed to investigate the genetics of EARR using next-generation sequencing comprehensively.

Methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed for comprehensive genetic analysis of 118 Korean orthodontic patients.

Multiple inertial measurement unit combination and location for recognizing general, fatigue, and simulated-fatigue gait.

Background: Muscle fatigue of the lower limbs results in dynamic imbalance and gait instability, increasing the risk of falling. However, people might slow walk without physical muscle fatigue due to mental fatigue. Wearable inertial measurement units (IMU) and machine learning approaches have been well employed for recognizing human activities.

Automatic real-time occupational posture evaluation and select corresponding ergonomic assessments.

The objective is to develop a system to automatically select the corresponding assessment scales and calculate the score of the risk based on the joint angle information obtained from the imaged process (OpenPose) via image-based motion capture technology. Current occupational assessments, for example, REBA, RULA, and OWAS were used to evaluate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. However, the assessment result would not be reported immediately.

Comparative Study of Markerless Vision-Based Gait Analyses for Person Re-Identification.

The model-based gait analysis of kinematic characteristics of the human body has been used to identify individuals. To extract gait features, spatiotemporal changes of anatomical landmarks of the human body in 3D were preferable. Without special lab settings, 2D images were easily acquired by monocular video cameras in real-world settings.

Integrated Physiological, Biomechanical, and Subjective Responses for the Selection of Assistive Level in Pedelec Cycling.

In recent decade, pedelec has become one of the most popular transportation modes due to its effectiveness in reducing physical effort. The effects of using pedelec as an alternative mode of exercise were explored in previous studies. However, the effects of pedelec parameters were not quantified for the self-selected gear ratio, random riding speed, and varied road slopes, which restricted its application.

Effects of assistive devices on postural control following a balance disturbance along the anterior-posterior direction.

Background: Assistive devices provide balance and stability to those who require a greater base of support, especially during ambulation or in tasks essential to functional daily living. In ambulatory assistive device use, center of pressure (COP) movement as one of the measurements of postural control is a factor when assessing fall risk, with an overall goal of maintaining postural equilibrium. There is a lack of research on assistive devices, such as walkers, regarding measurable outcome variables related to fall risk.

High prevalence nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant among long term care facility healthcare workers in relation to patient contact.

Background: Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is a major public health concern worldwide. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are an important source of transmission of MRSA. We conducted a prospective study to define the frequency of nasal colonization with emphasis on the carriage of MRSA in HCWs in relation to the intensity of patient contact.

Utilization of Inertial Measurement Units for Determining the Sequential Chain of Baseball Strike Posture.

The purpose of this study was to employ inertial measurement units (IMU) with an eye-tracking device to investigate different swing strategies between two levels of batters. The participants were 20 healthy males aged 20 to 30 years old, with ten professional and ten amateur batters. Eye gaze position, head, shoulder, trunk, and pelvis angular velocity, and ground reaction forces were recorded.

Slow Walking in Individuals with Chronic Post-Stroke Hemiparesis: Speed Mediated Effects of Gait Kinetics and Ankle Kinematics.

Post-stroke rehabilitation often aims to increase walking speeds, as faster walking is associated with improved functional status and quality of life. However, for successful community ambulation, ability to modulate (increase and decrease) walking speeds is more important than walking continuously at constant speeds. Increasing paretic propulsive forces to increase walking speed has been extensively examined; however, little is known about the mechanics of slow walking post-stroke.

Effects of augmented somatosensory input using vibratory insoles to improve walking in individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis.

Background: Stroke survivors suffer from hemiparesis and somatosensory impairments, which adversely impact walking performance, placing them at higher risks for trips and falls. Post-stroke, somatosensory deficits are commonly observed as impaired interpretation of afferent input and increased threshold. Diminishing or augmenting somatosensory inputs via various techniques have been demonstrated to be able to modify static and dynamic balance, postural and locomotor control in non-neurologically impaired as well as neurologically impaired individuals.

Multiple Inertial Measurement Unit Combination and Location for Center of Pressure Prediction in Gait.

Center of pressure (COP) during a gait cycle indicates crucial information with regard to fall risk such as balance capacity. The drawbacks of conventional research instruments include inconvenient use during activities of daily living and expensive costs. The present study illustrates the promising fall-relevant information predicted by acceleration and angular velocity data from different placement sensors with machine learning techniques.

Immediate Effects of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Postural Stability Using Computerized Dynamic Posturography in People With Chronic Post-stroke Hemiparesis.

Postural stability is commonly decreased in individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis due to multisystemic deficits. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method to modulate cortical excitability, inducing neuroplastic changes to the targeted cortical areas and has been suggested to potentially improve motor functions in individuals with neurological impairments. The purpose of this double-blinded, sham-controlled study was to examine the acute effects of anodal tDCS over the lesioned motor cortex leg area with concurrent limits of stability training on postural control in individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis.

Global fitness landscapes of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence.

Shine-Dalgarno sequences (SD) in prokaryotic mRNA facilitate protein translation by pairing with rRNA in ribosomes. Although conventionally defined as AG-rich motifs, recent genomic surveys reveal great sequence diversity, questioning how SD functions. Here, we determined the molecular fitness (i.

Effect of Light Finger Touch, a Cognitive Task, and Vision on Standing Balance in Stroke.

The aim of the exploratory study was to investigate the individual and combined effects of light finger touch, a cognitive task, and vision on postural sway in individuals with stroke. Nine older adults with stroke stood on the force platform with eyes open and eyes closed, with and without a light finger touch contact with the stationary frame, and when counting backward from a randomly chosen three-digit number or without it. The center of pressure (COP) excursion, velocity, range and sway area was calculated.

Individuals with stroke improve anticipatory postural adjustments after a single session of targeted exercises.

Impairment of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) is an important source of postural instability in older adults and individuals with neurological disorders. The aim of the study was to investigate whether APAs could be improved in people with stroke as a result of targeted exercise involving their unaffected upper extremity. Nine individuals with stroke and five healthy control individuals participated in the laboratory tests before and after a single session of practice consisting of pushing a medicine ball attached to the ceiling and stopping the ball with their palm when it returns.

Role of a single session of ball throwing exercise on postural control in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of training in improvement of balance control in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods: Older adults (mean age 78) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively intact older adults (mean age 72) were exposed to self-initiated perturbations while performing bilateral shoulder flexion task before and after a single training session consisting of throwing a medicine ball. EMG activity of six trunk and lower limb muscles was recorded.

Characterizing intersection variability of butterfly diagram in post-stroke gait using Kernel Density Estimation.

Background: Center of pressure (COP) trajectory during treadmill walking have been commonly presented using the butterfly diagram to describe gait characteristics in neurologically intact and impaired individuals. However, due to the large amount of displayed information, the butterfly diagram is not an efficient solution to visualize locomotor variability.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate post-stroke locomotor variability by applying Kernel density estimation (KDE) on the intersections of the butterfly diagram, and to compare KDE derived metrics with conventional metrics of gait symmetry and variability.

Characteristics of medial-lateral postural control while exposed to the external perturbation in step initiation.

Controllability of posture in the medial-lateral direction is critical for balance maintenance, particularly in step initiation. The objective of the current study was to examine  the effects of external perturbation and landing orientation on medial-lateral control stability in step initiation. Eleven young healthy participants stood on the force platform and waited for the instruction of taking a step while experiencing a pendulum perturbation applied at the lateral side of the right shoulder.

Impaired H-Reflex Adaptations Following Slope Walking in Individuals With Post-stroke Hemiparesis.

Background And Purpose: Short term adaptations in the Ia afferent-motoneuron pathway, as measured using the H-reflex, in response to altered ground reaction forces (GRFs) applied at the feet during slope walking have been observed in the non-impaired nervous system. The ability of the stroke-impaired nervous system to adapt to altered GRFs have not been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of altered propulsive and braking forces applied at the feet, which naturally occurs when walking on different slopes, on adaptations of the H-reflex pathway in individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis.